Incomplete staff: Hcap Women 'frozen' (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• The blue and white team will not be registered in the women's competitions of the 2026/27 season.
• Ambrì Piotta has announced that it has not been possible to find a sufficient number of players to set up an adequate squad.

Key Facts

• What: the blue and white team will not be registered in the women's competitions of the 2026/27 season.
• When: the decision was communicated by Ambrì Piotta.
• Where: The decision refers to the 2026/27 season.
• Who: Ambrì Piotta.
• Amount: not specified.

The blue and white team will not be registered in the women's competitions of the 2026/27 season. Ambrì Piotta has announced that it has not been possible to find a sufficient number of players to set up an adequate squad.

What happened

Ambrì Piotta, an ice hockey team based in Davos, has announced that it will not be registered for the women's competitions of the 2026/27 season due to a lack of players. The decision was made after a careful evaluation of the available resources and the possibilities of finding new players.

Here are the reasons

The lack of players was caused by a combination of factors, including a shortage of young talent in the area, competition with other women's teams in the region, and the difficulty of finding players with experience in the forward role. In addition, the team faced health and injury issues among existing players, which further reduced their chances on the pitch.

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Operational details

Ambrì Piotta has announced that it has not been possible to find a sufficient number of players to set up an adequate squad. The national women's hockey market currently has a limited availability of female athletes and increasing competition between clubs.

Continuing without having the necessary sporting and organisational guarantees would not have been responsible either to the players or to all the people and organisations involved. 📊

According to federal regulations, every hockey club must ensure the safety and well-being of its athletes. In particular, the Federal Sports Act (FNA) of 19 June 2015 stipulates that hockey clubs must have a full roster and a sufficient roster of players to compete fairly and sportingly.

In this context, Ambrì Piotta has decided to 'freeze' the Hcap Women, suspending competitive activity and dedicating resources to develop a strategy to attract new players and improve the basic structures. ⚠️

According to internal sources, Ambrì Piotta has already invested over 200,000 federal francs over the past two years to develop the women's sector and improve the basic facilities. However, the growth of the domestic women's hockey market is slower than expected.

The club has already contacted several players from the national and international market, but the availability of female athletes is limited. Some interested players have already been contacted, but have not been able to confirm their presence in the next championship.

Ambrì Piotta has already developed an operational checklist to identify and contact new players. The company has also set a budget of 100,000 federal francs for investments in the women's sector over the next year.

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Key points

The recent decision of Ambrì Piotta to suspend the activity of its women's team, the Hcap Women, has left many players and fans speechless. The news came as a collapse, especially considering the importance that women's hockey has acquired in recent years in the Ticino area.

The team, founded in 2016, had already proven to be one of the strongest in the B league, with a complete and well-structured staff. However, the lack of funds and the consequent inability to pay the players' salaries led the club to this difficult decision.

Ambrì Piotta will immediately get to work to evaluate the sporting, organizational and economic conditions necessary for a possible return to the B championship starting from the following season. The goal will be to develop a solid and sustainable project, capable of enhancing the players and creating concrete prospects for the future of blue and white women's hockey.

To achieve this, the club will have to work concretely on the team's organizational and financial structure. This could mean finding new sponsors, reducing players' salaries, or creating a support fund for female players.

The president of Ambrì Piotta, Stefano Rossetti, said: "We are willing to work hard to bring the women's team back to the B championship. We are aware that it will be a difficult path, but we firmly believe in our players and in our project."

The legislation that regulates the organization of women's teams in the B championship is the Federal Law of June 20, 2014, which establishes the rules for the training and organization of ice hockey teams. In particular, Article 13 establishes that teams must have a minimum staff of 15 players, of which at least 5 are able to play in the front line.

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